Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Living... in Las Vegas after a prison stint for stealing Incan matrimonial headmasks. Now he has hooked up with his best friend Rusty and former casino owner Reuben, among others, to pull of the biggest heist in Vegas history.
Profession... criminal, albeit a very charming one. Danny is a con man, bank robber, and career thief who specializes in fraud. After he gets out of jail he breaks parole the very next day to go see Rusty and plan a job that could send him to back to prison for life if it goes wrong. They’re aiming to rob three casinos at once and take home $160 million. To do that, they put together a diverse group of 11 men with various skills to pull off the incredibly ambitious job.
Interests… stylish suits, gambling, and beautiful women. He’ll fit right in when he gets (back) to Las Vegas.
Relationship Status... divorced, and it turns out that’s the real reason for the heist. (Besides the $160 million, of course.) Danny’s ex-wife Tess is dating wealthy and powerful casino owner Terry Benedict. Danny doesn’t just want to become rich. He wants to rip off the guy who stole his wife – and maybe win her back while he’s at it.
Challenge... robbing not just one casino, but three. There’s a reason for the phrase “the house always wins,” and only a crazy person would go after three houses at once. But Danny’s no ordinary criminal, and – despite Rusty’s pleas to let Tess go – he’s also driven by a broken heart. Not that he’d ever let anyone see his pain.
Personality... cool under pressure, smart, and smooth. He has no trouble recruiting 10 of the best thieves in the country to help him with the heist. It takes a special mix of trustworthiness (to his heist-mates, at least), inventiveness, and craftiness to make it as a career criminal, and Danny’s got all those qualities in spades.